Russia says kills 7 Nusra Front field commanders in Syria air strike

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian air strike killed 49 Nusra Front militants including seven of its field commanders in Syria's Idlib province, Russia's Rossiya 24 state television channel cited the Russian defense ministry as saying on Thursday.

Nusra Front severed ties with al Qaeda last year and rebranded to head the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance.

Russia said on Wednesday it had critically injured a leader of the Tahrir al-Sham militant group, Abu Mohamad al-Golani, with an air strike in Syria that also killed 12 of his field commanders.

Golani is now in a coma, Russian news agencies cited Russia's defense ministry as saying on Thursday.